HIV Disease Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
What is HIV? HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
The HIV virus attacks the immune system which in turn weakens the body’s ability to fight infection and disease.
Drugs or methods of treating HIV have not been found. However, the development of the disease can be slowed down by undergoing certain medications so that the sufferer can lead a normal life.
AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection when the body’s ability to fight infection is no longer there.
With early detection and treatment, HIV sufferers will not be promoted to AIDS.
HIV/AIDS statistics
According to WHO data recorded at the end of 2015, there were 36.7 million HIV sufferers worldwide.
Of these, 18.2 million sufferers have received antiretroviral treatment.
At the end of 2015, the growth of new sufferers reached 2.1 million people.
Meanwhile, according to UNAIDS, in 2015 there were 690 thousand people living with HIV.
As many as 250 thousand of them are women aged 15 years and over. Meanwhile, the number of children and adolescents living with HIV was recorded as many as 17 thousand people.
The death rate due to AIDS has reached 35 thousand people, which has left 110,000 children aged 0-17 years orphaned.
Spread of HIV
HIV can be found in the body fluids of an infected person. The body fluids in question are sperm fluids, vaginal fluids, anal fluids, blood, and breast milk.
However, HIV cannot be spread through sweat or urine. HIV is a fragile virus, it cannot survive long outside the human body.
Generally, the spread of the HIV virus occurs through unsafe sexual intercourse and sharing needles when using drugs.
Other ways of spreading include:
- Transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, during childbirth or breastfeeding
- Through oral sex
- Through the use of sex aids that are used alternately
- Through blood transfusion from an infected person
- Using contaminated needles, syringes and other injecting equipment
HIV Symptom
HIV infection occurs in three stages:
- The first stage is seroconversion, which is a certain period of time in which HIV antibodies have started to develop to fight the virus
- The second stage is the time when no HIV symptoms appear
- The third stage is the final stage of HIV infection
The first stage
People infected with the HIV virus will experience flu-like illness, several weeks after infection, for one to two months.
Then, after that condition, HIV may not cause any symptoms for several years. This phase is known as seroconversion.
The most common HIV symptoms are:
- Fever
- Sore throat
- A rash appears
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Muscle and joint pain
However, the symptoms of HIV above could be symptoms of other diseases.
To find out whether a person is infected with HIV or not, an HIV test must be done.
The sooner the condition is known, the success rate of treatment will be higher.
Second Stage
After the initial symptoms disappear, HIV usually doesn’t cause any further symptoms for years.
During this period, HIV infection is asymptomatic.
The virus continues to spread and damage the immune system. The sufferer will still feel healthy.
In fact, he could have passed the infection to others. This stage can last up to 10 years or more.
Third phase
This stage is also known as the symptomatic HIV stage. If people with HIV don’t get proper treatment, the virus will quickly weaken the body.
In this third stage, sufferers are more susceptible to serious illness. This final stage can turn into AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).
The following are the symptoms of HIV that appear
- Continuous fever for more than ten days
- Feeling tired all the time
- It’s hard to breathe
- Severe diarrhea
- Fungal infections of the mouth, throat and vagina
- Purple spots appear on the skin that won’t go away
- Loss of appetite resulting in drastic weight loss
Deadly diseases that easily attack people with AIDS include cancer, pneumonia, and TB. At this stage, HIV treatment is still being carried out.
HIV Reason
Generally, the spread of the HIV virus that occurs in Indonesia is through unsafe sexual relations and sharing needles when using drugs. Someone who is infected with HIV can transmit it to others, even from a few weeks after infection.
Everyone is at risk of being infected with HIV. However, some causes of HIV, including:
- Unprotected sex, both same-sex and heterosexual.
- Often makes tattoos or piercings, with tools that are not sterile.
- Having sex with a partner who has a venereal disease
- Drug Injections
- Having sex with drug users.
HIV Diagnosis
The only way to find out if someone has HIV or not is to do an HIV test accompanied by counseling.
Immediately visit the nearest health facility (VCT clinic) for an HIV test if you are at risk of contracting the virus.
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Counseling
This HIV testing and counseling service is known as VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) or KTS (Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing).
The test is voluntary and confidential. First, counseling will be given first.
This aims to determine the level of risk of infection, daily life patterns, and how to deal with test results if they prove positive.
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Blood test
After that, an HIV test will be carried out, namely a blood test to see if there are antibodies to HIV in the blood sample.
If the test result is negative but counseling concludes that the person has significant risk factors, the HIV test will be repeated one to three months after the first test.
HIV Positive Test Result
If the blood test results come back positive, the counselor or doctor will convey it to the sufferer.
They will also go into detail about the current situation, including how to deal with it.
People with HIV must also carry out regular blood tests to monitor the development of the virus before treatment is carried out.
Treatment begins after the virus begins to weaken the sufferer’s immune system. This condition can be seen by checking the levels of CD4 cells in the blood.
Treatment is usually recommended when the CD4 is close to 350. Q
the goal is to lower levels of the HIV virus as well as to prevent HIV-associated diseases. The possibility of spreading it also becomes smaller.
HIV Treatment
There is no cure for HIV, but there are HIV treatments that can slow the progression of HIV disease.
This treatment can make infected people live longer and lead a healthy lifestyles.
There are various types of HIV drugs that are combined to control the virus.
1. Early HIV Emergency Medicines
If a person feels or suspects that he has just been infected with the virus within 3×24 hours, he can take anti-HIV drugs that can prevent infection.
This drug is called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Prophylaxis is a medical procedure aimed at preventing rather than treating.
PEP should be started immediately, up to three days after exposure to the virus. Treatment using PEP lasts for a month. There is no guarantee that HIV treatment will work.
2. Antiretroviral Drugs
Antiretrovirals (ARVs) are some of the HIV drugs used to treat HIV infection. ARVs will slow the growth of the virus.
Over time, HIV can become resistant to one class of ARVs. Therefore, a combination of ARV groups will be given to the patient. For example:
- NNRTIs ( Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors ). Serves to remove the protein needed by the HIV virus to reproduce itself.
- NRTIs ( Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors ). Serves to inhibit the development of HIV in the body’s cells.
- Protease inhibitors. Function to remove protease, a type of protein that HIV needs to reproduce itself.
- entry inhibitors. Blocks HIV from entering CD4 cells.
- Integrase inhibitors. This type of ARV removes integrase, a protein that HIV uses to insert genetic material into CD4 cells.
- This combination treatment is better known as antiretroviral therapy (ART). Usually, the patient will be given three classes of ARV drugs. The combination of drugs given is different for each sufferer.
Once HIV treatment is started, the drug must be taken for life.
If one ARV combination doesn’t work, it can be consulted to change it to another ARV combination.
New HIV treatment can be successful if the person taking the drug regularly (at the same time every time he takes the drug). If you miss even one dose, the effect can increase the risk of failure.
3. HIV Treatment for Pregnant Women
There are special ARV drugs available for pregnant women which are used to prevent HIV transmission from mother to baby.
There is a ratio of 25 out of 100 babies will be infected with HIV if not treated. This risk can be reduced if treated early.
Giving ARVs can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus through normal delivery, but in some cases, the recommended delivery is by cesarean section.
HIV-infected mothers should not give breast milk to their babies. The virus can be transmitted through breastfeeding.
Treatment Side Effects
All treatments must have side effects. This treatment for HIV is no exception.
The following are examples of side effects that commonly occur:
- Fatigue
- Nauseous
- Rash
- Diarrhea
- Mood swings
Prevention
It is very important to prevent HIV infection because the main specific drug to treat the virus has not yet been found.
Apply some of the following precautions.
1. Have a healthy sexual relationship
Avoid having sex with more than one partner. By making this effort, the risk of being infected with HIV will be lower.
2. Avoid intercourse when there is a genital infection
Regardless of whatever the cause of the genital infection you are experiencing, it is highly recommended to avoid having sex while experiencing a genital infection.
This is recommended because genital infections are most often caused by sexually transmitted infections where there is a high risk of developing HIV infection.
3. Avoid using needles repeatedly
Whatever the underlying reason, the use of needles may only be used once and only for one person.
It is not recommended to use it repeatedly because it can increase the risk of infection, one of which is HIV.
4. Avoid piercing and tattoos in places that are less clean
It is very important to pay attention to the cleanliness of tools and places for piercings and tattoos. Needles that are not sterile can increase the risk of infection, including HIV.
5. Education
It is very important to provide education to people of all walks of life and ages regarding HIV so that they are aware of it early and avoid infection.
Complications
When a person has HIV, the immune system can also become much weaker and susceptible to various diseases, such as:
1. Lung infection
People infected with HIV are more susceptible to lung infections such as tuberculosis and the symptoms that appear can be much more severe than people without HIV infection.
2. Toxoplasmosis
When a toxoplasma parasite infection attacks people with HIV infection, it can spread to the brain and can trigger seizures that lead to loss of consciousness.
3. Herpes
Herpes infection in people with low immune systems can cause more severe symptoms.
The infection can cause damage to the eyes, respiratory tract and digestive tract.
4. Candidiasis
Patients with decreased immune systems are also more susceptible to fungal infections, both in the oral cavity, skin surface to the respiratory tract or lungs.
5. Meningitis
Inflammation of the lining of the brain or meningitis can be caused by various infections in people with HIV due to decreased immune system. Most often caused by a fungal infection.
6. Nervous disorders
Even though it doesn’t attack nerve cells directly, psychological conditions will affect people with HIV/AIDS and can even trigger dementia.
7. Wasting syndrome
People infected with the HIV virus will experience significant weight loss, especially accompanied by symptoms of chronic diarrhea.
8. HIVAN
HIVAN or HIV- associated nephropathy is a complication that can be found in people with HIV infection, namely kidney disorders.
This causes interference with kidney function to remove toxic substances from the body.
9. Cryptosporidiosis
People who have HIV infection can experience a significant decrease in their immune system.
This can increase bacteria and parasites in the body so that it can cause infections in the digestive tract that are quite severe.